This invention relates to a cylinder block for a piston-type internal combustion engine.
The weight of piston engines, particularly engines for passenger vehicles, is sought to be reduced to the greatest possible extent. For this purpose cylinder blocks made of light metal have been manufactured. In such cylinder blocks, however, two different materials have to be used, since the cylinder sleeves which accommodate the respective pistons, still have to be made of gray cast iron of appropriate quality.
German Offenlegungsschrift (application published without examination) 42 31 284 discloses a cylinder block made of gray cast iron which is so configured that, on the one hand, a weight reduction is achieved and, on the other hand, it has a high form-retaining strength. This rigidity is essentially achieved by providing cross-sectionally U-shaped reinforcing ribs on the two outer sides of the water jacket between any two cylinders. The ribs extend to the zone of the crankshaft bearing bracket, so that forces which are generated between the cylinder head and the crankshaft bearing and which are to be absorbed by the cylinder block are taken up primarily by the reinforcing ribs. As a result, all other wall portions may be made appreciably thinner.